In a world of high-tech medical care, Meador makes a compelling argument for the simplest of diagnostic tools—listening to a...
An intriguing account of 19 medical mysteries and the true-life medical detectives who solved them.
Over his 50-plus years of practicing medicine, Meador (Puzzling Symptoms, 2010, etc.) has seen many unusual illnesses that defied traditional diagnosis. In his latest book, he recounts the most fascinating—and downright bizarre—of these cases, in which patients experienced troubling medical symptoms with no apparent cause. The cases involve both Meador’s and others doctors’ patients. All, however, are solved using the same method: medical deduction rooted in careful listening. The book begins with a dedication to the late Berton Roueché, who popularized the medical-detective genre as a staff writer for the New Yorker. The first chapter, “Dr. Jim’s Breasts,” revisits an interesting case involving a 76-year-old man who suffers from the ailment of the title. Without giving away the ending, through much inquiry, the cause of the man’s breast enlargement is discovered—and it is a curious cause indeed. This and other cases illuminate a consistent theme, which is that patients, with a doctor’s guidance, are often their own best medical detectives. In the chapter “Two Cases of Pneumonia: Two Different Causes,” two unexplained incidents of chronic pneumonia are solved by an infectious disease specialist who teases out patient histories with careful listening and questioning and by “involving a family member in the search for clues.” Other chapters, such as “A Paradoxical Suicide Attempt” and “A Near Death from Hexing,” provide striking examples of the mind’s ability to create profound physiological responses and the need for physicians to take this into account. The author’s suspenseful, Sherlock Holmes-esque retelling of each case will keep the pages turning. But this is more than just a collection of entertaining anecdotes. In an age of technology-driven, impersonal medical care, Meador provides a powerful reminder of the need for meaningful dialogue between doctors and patients.
In a world of high-tech medical care, Meador makes a compelling argument for the simplest of diagnostic tools—listening to a patient.Pub Date: June 28, 2012
ISBN: 978-1475037289
Page Count: 102
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Disturbing and consistent in tone, yet too often weighed down by opaqueness.
In Young’s debut novel, a fugitive writer works feverishly to document his life before his past catches up to him.
For three days Paul sits on his fire escape overlooking the busy streets of New York City, jotting down an account of his life from his humble beginnings to what he sees as his coming end. The overly self-aware Paul has several reasons to be here: He’s found little success as a poet, the woman he loves has left him, and his aimless wanderings have led him to cause, or at least feel responsibility for, the death of a fellow citizen. While these things weigh heavily on Paul, the catalyst for his manic scribbling is merely that he’s been recognized; he’s not Paul, but rather a fugitive man of many names. He writes now of his first identity as Sam, a fatherless Holden Caulfield in the Connecticut suburbs whose annoyance with anything he finds empty or hypocritical takes a violent turn. Young’s debut crosses mediums, utilizing poetry, playwriting and a loose, stream-of-consciousness style that compliments the prose, conveying the urgency and fatigue Paul experiences. This blend can also be distracting, breaking the heavy tension the author establishes with his protagonist’s unique, darkly comic observations of the mundane and the mortifying. The novel can make readers uncomfortable, and doesn’t shy away from the obscene while humoring its unreliable narrator—even when he’s presented as self-centered and detached. Nearly every relationship in Paul’s life has some sexual undertone—from his best friend to figures in the church to his own mother—further magnifying the unnerving atmosphere. The narrator’s verbose style works both for and against the novel: It captures a personality enchanted with words but unable to truly connect with language, a wannabe-wordsmith “trying too hard.” However, as important as this consistency is, its continued use becomes tedious as some of the book’s more impressive flourishes are lost in the shuffle.
Disturbing and consistent in tone, yet too often weighed down by opaqueness.Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2010
ISBN: 978-0615430232
Page Count: 398
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A short, candid book that urges girls to pursue their dreams.
In Johnson’s debut picture book, a father encourages his daughter to reach for the stars.
Full of positive affirmations, the book uses short, inspiring statements to build young girls’ confidence. “Anything is within my reach, if I always love myself,” they’re told. These empowering words are accompanied by an illustration of a young girl sitting behind the U.S. president’s desk. Along with these motivational declarations, the book focuses on the importance of familial support: “My daddy says I can be, because my family believes in me.” That message is coupled with illustrations of a father reading to his daughter and a family of four building a sandcastle on a beach. It’s clear that this is a very personal project for the author, as he appears in the book with his two daughters, Nyla and London. The book’s message is a commendable one: All girls should be encouraged to be strong and independent. However, the narrative would be more effective if expanded and enriched with more detail. The book’s simple statements often rely on illustrations for clarification. The message behind “Anything is within my reach, if I always love myself” is only fully understood next to a picture of a young girl president; without the artwork, the sparse text could remain vague and open to interpretation. The basic illustrations—ranging from a girl playing soccer to a girl praying before bed—are full of bright colors and watercolor backgrounds, echoing the happy, simple quality of the prose.
A short, candid book that urges girls to pursue their dreams.Pub Date: March 7, 2012
ISBN: 978-1468555967
Page Count: 24
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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